Dinner at The Canopy, Epsom
February 23, 2012
Dinner At The Canopy
Dinner at the Canopy in Epsom on 23rd Feb 2012. was well attended and on arrival I noticed a very pleasant atmosphere, no doubt helped along by the excellent 2009 Marques de Marialva. The menu looked deceptively simple. Once settled, the meal started with good breadrolls and and oil and herb dip, followed by a delightful vegetable soup. The Large Kingprawns on a green papaya salad were perfectly cooked and prettily arranged and accompanied by a delightful Villa St.Jean. Then a beautiful surprise , on a long plate, a green fig with a tiny crostini and a thimbleful of spirit. The flavour was perfect, but the display was a “work of art”. There was Lemon sorbet and then the main course of Chicken en croute with accompaniments , also servings of extra jus for those who wanted it. I have had this dish before, but never so nicely served , the La Boussole Pinot Noir was a very good match. The pudding was wonderful and it had me foxed with the decor of a tuille, hidden in sweet herbs. After all that, there was another surprise I wanted to call nectar of the gods Moscatel de Setubal. The coffee easily rivals the best you can get on the continent and Petit Four, handmade chocolates to die for (piggy here took two!) . There was yet another very impressive aspect to this dinner, namely the quality of the serving staff , who were almost invisible but for the fact that food, drink and plates appeared and disappeared as if by magic. Our generous hosts did something that I have not experienced in a long time, in that they did not only feed their guests, but made them happy. Finally I would like to give thanks to the Counseilleurs , working quietly behind the scenes to make such delights possible —vive la chaine.
Vita Punjabi
